Saturday, 20 April 2013

Bisamberg Hill Race

Bisamberg is sometimes called "the first Alp". It was a fitting place to premier a new event. It is at or near Bisamberg where the eastern end of the Alpine chain begins.

The hill itself is a picturesque hump with many trails and paths, some quite steep, climbing through decidious woodland and forest and giving way to attractive cobbled lanes passing through vineyards and orchards on the descent down its south-east flank.

It is situated to the north of the Danube River near Vienna. An ideal location for an early season outing.

The weather was overcast and the temperature, in the light breeze, was about 12-15C. Good conditions for a mid-April event starting mid-afternoon.

I opted for the 'soft' 9km race; it goes about 3/4ths of the way up the hill, unlike the 12km which goes to the top.

I had been reading about Kenyan runners and thought, like them, I'd go low-key and begin the home season with a confidence boosting performance.

Most of the runners, several of them targeting early points in the annual Austrian mountain running cup trophy, opted for what is set to become a 12km classic.

The race started with a lap of the running track and then followed a country lane skirting the base of the hill until the course divided: 12km race straight on and 9km race to the right. Turning right I entered woodland and began a long gradual ascent to the feeding station at the 9k 'summit'.

The paths soon became narrower and quickly descended into meadows and then into a series of uneven cobbled lanes. I had chosen to run in a pair of gel-cushioned shoes and it was over these uneven stones that the shoes came into their own. I was able to get down the hill painlessly.

It was then back on the running track and a full lap to the finish line where I finished almost as fresh as when I had started.

An early-season confidence building result. The harder races will come soon enough.